items tagged with Angela Elliott

At the start of the intermission to Friday night’s District Theatre performance of Company, my partner turned to me and said, “I don’t remember this show being that funny.” He was right, because director David Turley accentuates the funny parts in this musical by composer Stephen Sondheim and writer George Furth. He does so, however, with subtle nudges and winks that almost cross over into silliness but don't, and that keep the production from sinking into sappy sentimentality.

When the cast for the Harrison Hilltop Theatre’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was revealed several weeks ago, I’ll admit I was concerned. While I’d previously admired the work of most of the actors, I wasn’t sure they were up to the tasks of the roles they’d been awarded – chiefly Tom Walljasper, cast as the titular barber. While Walljasper excels at comedic roles, I worried that, with his smirking, tongue-in-cheek style of delivery, he wouldn’t be able to carry the dramatic weight of Stephen Sondheim’s killer character. But after seeing Thursday’s opening-night performance, I’m pleased to admit that I was wrong. Very wrong; Walljasper’s ability to handle the role was apparent with the first lyric he sang, which carried with it a dark, sinister, intense appeal.

Thursday's opening night performance of Sunday in the Park with George was far more of an emotional experience than I had anticipated. Prior to opening night, cast members posted Facebook messages saying rehearsals were moving them to tears, and chalking it up to their emotions being heightened by the experience of doing the show - as can often happen with a cast and crew - I didn't expected to be equally moved. I was wrong, with tears streaming down my face multiple times during the performance.

As Ouiser Boudreaux, the easily agitated Southern matriarch with the permanently fixed scowl and "more money than God," Dee Canfield enters the Green Room Theatre's production of Steel Magnolias as though shot through a cannon.

An actor friend of mine says he always wants to be the worst performer in everything he's in, because if the rest of the cast is doing stronger work than he is, that means the show is in really, really good shape. With that in mind, any actor worth his or her salt would be thrilled to be the worst performer among these five ensembles.